These credit equivalents are used for professional development activities for which academic credits are not available. These credit equivalents are recognized by the College and can be used for movement on the salary scale. Credit equivalents are granted for the following professional activities.

• Research, field work, focused reading, writing, publishing
• Professional work experience
• Conferences, workshops, seminars

For a more detailed list of what each of these activities refer to, visit Clark College Policy 335.005.

The maximum credit equivalents that can be earned in one reporting year are: 

• 15 credit equivalents in "Research, Field Work, Publishing"
• 10 credit equivalents in "Professional Work Experience"
• 10 credit equivalents in "Conferences, Workshops, Seminars"

However, no more than 5 credit equivalents may be earned for any one topic or work experience. 

Research, Field Work, Publishing

• 20 hours = 1.0 credit equivalent

Professional Work Experience

• 30 hours = 1.0 credit equivalent

Conferences, Workshops, Seminars

• 20 hours = 1.0 credit equivalent

1. If you wish to receive pre-approval for your activity (not required), complete questions 1-19 of the Application for Credit Equivalents and follow the submission guidelines on the form. You will receive a memo to let you know whether or not the committee has granted pre-approval of your Application for Credit Equivalent. If it was approved, proceed to Step 2.
   
   
2. If you have received pre-approval, and have completed your activity, update your pre-approved Application for Credit Equivalents, complete questions 20 and 21 and follow the submission guidelines on the form.
   
   
3. If you have completed your activity and did not request pre-approval, complete questions 1-20 of the Application for Credit Equivalents and follow the submission guidelines on the form. The final Application for Credit Equivalents form must be submitted to PPAC within one year of the date the project/activity is completed. You will receive a memo to let you know whether or not the committee approved your Application for Credit Equivalents. If it was approved, the memo will also contain the number of credit equivalents you have earned. Subsequently, you will receive a confirmation memo from the Vice President of Instruction, and a copy will go to Human Resources.

Please note: If you attended a workshop with pre-approved PPAC credits, and received a certificate of attendance, you do NOT need to submit a time-log. 

There are several workshops that have been given blanket preapproval by the Committee. To receive credit for these, applicants need to turn in a completed application and certificate of completion provided by either TLC or eLearning. As hours are predetermined a time log is not required for these workshops.

Requests for receiving credit equivalents must be initiated by the faculty member and submitted to PPAC any time during the academic year, but no later than the third week in April, for approval by June 30 in order to be considered for salary schedule advancement the next academic year.

The committee meets once per quarter to review applications. If you wish to have your application reviewed in a specific quarter, please submit your paperwork no later than the third week of the quarter. Requests submitted after the third week of the quarter will be reviewed the following quarter. 

Please note: the committee does not meet during Summer quarter. Thus, requests received after the third week of Spring quarter will not be reviewed until Fall quarter. 

If you are reading this, you probably already found the PPAC page. It is located at clark.edu/tlc/placementadvancement-committee. 

Clark College Policy 335.005 states, “Credit equivalents will not be recommended for activities that are attended on scheduled class time, for which the College pays any of the expenses (with the exception of Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) activities offered during non-teaching time), or for which academic credit is already allowed.”

Yes.

No, Clark College Policy 335.005 states that business or organizational meetings of professional associations are considered a part of professional obligations and may not be counted for credit equivalents

The Human Resources Office handles academic credits and salary advancement. Approval is required, and the "Request for Approval of Academic Credits for Salary Advancement" Form is available in the personnel area of the forms page or by contacting Human Resources at ext. 2619.

Credit is not granted for development of a course a faculty member teaches at Clark College.

Up to 5 (five) credits may be earned for work experience the first year it is submitted.

After the first year, up to 3 (three) credits may be earned for repetitious work experience. Examples of work experience include: auto mechanics, nursing, dental hygienist, private music instruction, acting in a play, and teaching outside of Clark College. One hour of preparation time can be granted for each hour of teaching time outside of Clark College.

After the initial teaching experience, only the hours for teaching time will be counted.

PPAC is not the appropriate venue for resolving compensation issues for Student Club Advisers

If you are a presenter at a conference/seminar, a maximum of 10 hours preparation time can be given for each hour of presentation. You must include a time log with the Application for Credit Equivalents.

Yes. Since the activities are conducted during non-class time, you can receive credit equivalents for the total hours of activity up to the amount allowed under PPAC policy.

Work experience performed on the premises of a religious institution is allowed ONLY if it is NOT an activity of or for the religious organization.